


Written In The Stars

by My_Dixon_Narratives



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms
Genre: Adult Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-05 05:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14036967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Dixon_Narratives/pseuds/My_Dixon_Narratives
Summary: Merle Dixon has overcome a lifetime of addiction but finds himself lonely and ready to find love. An otherworldly experience on a camping trip leads him to the love of his life but nothing is quite as it seems with his dream girl...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KrissyG927](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrissyG927/gifts).



> This story is what I would call experimental for me. I tend to write stories that are very realistic because I like ordinary love stories between ordinary people best. This story is about ordinary people but their love is very different and it involves supernatural elements I don't normally use. I hope you enjoy it anyway:) Thanks for reading. 
> 
> *This story is told in three 'parts' and they came out longer than usual for some reason. I didn't feel like breaking it up into smaller chapters because I like the reveals in this first part and the journey it goes on and I really don't want it broken up.  
> So just a warning that this first part is 5000+ words.

**  Written In The Stars   **

**  Part One   **

Camping in the late summer was Merle's favorite thing to do. Normally he'd be hunting if he was out in the woods in late August, but this trip was just for pleasure. He had six months of sobriety under his belt and a weekend away was just what he needed. Time alone by the water, with just the stars overhead and nothing but his own thoughts...it was going to be perfect.

He arrived at the park where there were usually plenty of people camping with their families and pitched his tent right next to the lake in a small clearing of trees. The temperature had dipped lower than usual for the time of year, and he was the only one around who didn't mind a chilly night in a tent. 

Merle stripped bare naked on the first afternoon there and stepped into the bracing waters for a kind of baptism. He was renewed and had the rest of his life ahead of him now, sober and ready to live. He felt that he was one with the Earth again, one with the woods he'd grown up in. Everything was possible now. 

Daryl was trying to get him to put his name on a dating website because he knew Merle was lonely, but that kind of thing wasn't for him. Merle would be patient, and eventually, a woman would come along and give him a shot...he hoped. 

He had messed up relationships in the past with drugs and drinking, but if he got the chance to love again, he wouldn't fuck it up, he'd hold on tight with both hands. 

_** / ** _

The first evening there, he realized that he wasn't actually alone at the park. There was a couple, about ten lots down the way, but he didn't fuss, he was still alone to enjoy his weekend. The pair seemed to be packing up, and Merle noticed that the woman appeared to be about forty and very attractive. She was pretty, blonde, and outdoorsy looking. 

Merle lit his campfire at about 7 pm and sat around the flames listening to the sounds of what appeared to be a fight. The man was raising his voice, and Merle tried to see what was going on through the trees but couldn't see much of anything. He cracked a can of ginger ale and sat staring at the flames as he heard a truck fire up and some tires squeal out of the area. He soon realized that the woman was still there and only the man had driven away when he could hear crying.

"Hello?" he called.

He could see the blonde woman in a purple coat coming toward him, and he braced himself for unexpected conversation.

"Hello?" he called again.

"Excuse me...do you have a phone I could borrow just for one call?"

She was sobbing heavily, and he stood up to meet her in the trees.

"Hey, you OK, honey? Did he hurt you?" he asked as she came into view.

"Not physically...but he left me here alone."

"Here," Merle said, instantly offering her his phone to call a friend or family member.

"Thanks so much."

"Come over near the fire, honey. Come have a seat."

The woman followed him back as she listened to the ringing on the other end of the phone line. She sat at his picnic table next to the fire and sighed as she hung up the phone.

"No answer and I only know that one person in the city...I'm not originally from here," she sighed.

"You could try again in a bit," he suggested. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's a long story, let's just say he wasn't the one."

"Sorry, I've been there myself, but not for a long time."

"This is the kind of luck I have," she sighed, shaking her head.

The wind picked up a little, and he looked up to see that some dark clouds were rolling in.

"I was really looking forward to camping, and then I end up in a situation like this," she shrugged.

"Whatever happened with this guy, he was an asshole to ever leave you alone like this...although I'm not 100% sorry he did," he smiled.

Merle hadn't even tried to flirt with a woman since his drinking days ended, and flirting with a woman who was just dumped alone in the woods probably wasn't classy, but he didn't care.

"That's sweet of you to say," she smiled.

He offered her a ginger ale and apologized that he didn't have anything stronger.

"It's OK," she said. "I'm in recovery."

"You are?"

"Yes."

"Me too!"

It was nice to find someone else who was battling the demon; he felt less alone already.

"It's a hell of a club to belong to, hey?" she laughed.

"As long as I'm on this side of the problem, I'm OK with it. How long for you?"

"6 months now," she said as she took a long sip of the ginger ale.

"That's eerie. Me too!" 

"Small world," she said softly.

"Yeah..."

"That wind sure came out of nowhere."

He agreed and checked his phone for the weather report.

"There's some heavy rain coming in. The dirt road to the highway is gonna get boggy if that happens."

"That's no good."

"Did you...never mind."

"What?" she pressed.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to stay the night, but I don't even know your name yet. You'll think I'm a nutcase."

"That's not so crazy...especially if it's going to rain."

"Seriously? You'd stay?"

"Is there room in your tent for two?" she grinned.

Merle couldn't help it, the woman bit her lip and looked him right in the eye, and he was semi-hard just like that.

"We can make room," he winked.

"My name is Maya."

"Merle Dixon at your service," he grinned.

_** / ** _

As evening fell, Merle decided he should make her something to eat before the clouds began to pour down on them. It was only beans and hot dogs, but she seemed more than happy with it.

"You swear you have enough to spare?" she checked.

"It's all good. I always bring more than I need."

"Do you camp much?"

"I spent my whole childhood in the woods with my kid brother. My dad was a drinker too, so we were always hiding in the trees," he explained.

They ate at the picnic table, and she explained that the relationship she had with her ex had been falling apart for a while but with her new recovery she had been afraid to walk away from it.

"That makes sense; I've been feeling hesitant to make any sudden moves too. My brother is trying to set me up with women and get me out there, but it's scary."

"Nothing like a first date where you have to explain why you're not having a drink...I'm not up for that kind of rejection," she sighed.

"I hear ya. A lot of people don't get how hard it is every day."

"I haven't been able to talk to anyone else who gets it until now," she smiled. "This is nice."

"You're not in a group?" he asked.

"No. I've been doing it alone all this time."

"I go to a good group if you ever want to check it out. No pressure."

"That sounds good...if you'll go with me."

"Anytime."

"I'm really excited that I met someone like you, Merle."

"Thanks, I'm glad I met you too...been ages since I talked to a woman who ain't my sister-in-law," he laughed.

The rain started to fall then, and he poured a bucket of water over the fire to ensure it would go out completely. 

"I can sleep in the truck if you want the tent to yourself, Maya."

"It's OK. Don't laugh, but I think I'd be scared in there all alone."

_** / ** _

An hour later the rain was beating down, and Merle was sitting within touching distance of a perfect stranger in his two-man tent. It was pitch black except for the light from his flashlight, a little romantic even. He felt nervous with her so close because his mind was somewhere it shouldn't be. 

"You warm enough?" he asked when he noticed her shivering just a little. "Here."

Merle pulled a fleece blanket out of his bag and wrapped it around her shoulders, and she thanked him softly. 

There wasn't much left to say; he was just happy that she was there with him and she apparently felt the same.

The batteries in his flashlight died then, and he told her not to panic because he had more batteries in his bag.

"Just a sec, Maya, I got more batteries somewhere...damn it! I can't see a thing," he chuckled.

"Merle?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe it's OK that it's dark...maybe we could just lay down now."

"Yeah...we could do that."

He could hear Maya unzipping her jeans and then sliding down into his spare sleeping bag, and his mind went back to that naughty place. He unzipped his pants as well and hope like hell she wouldn't be freaked out. 

"I can stay in my jeans if you'd be more comfortable, I ain't crazy about sleeping fully dressed but I will if you prefer it."

"It's OK, Merle. I'm a grown woman," she answered, and he could just hear it in her voice that she was smiling.

"Right...OK."

Merle took off his jeans and imagined moving his bare legs against hers; he'd be mad hard in an instant if that happened. He slid into the sleeping bag next to her and their arms brushed against each other leaving him weak.

"Sorry."

"It's OK," she said and then she moved closer. 

Merle lay completely still and tried to picture where she was in the darkness next to him, but then she lay her hand on his chest.

"Is it OK if I get closer for warmth? You're running hot over here."

"Sure...I don't want you to be cold, honey."

"Is that a thing you do with all women?"

"What?"

"Call them honey."

"Oh! I guess so. I can stop."

"No, I like it," she said and then slithered into his arms and rested her head on his chest.

He took a deep breath and moved his face toward her to smell her hair; it smelled like tea tree oil, it was intoxicating in a great way, a way that didn't involve booze.

"This is perfect, isn't it?" she began. "The sound of raindrops on a tent and a good cuddle."

"It is perfect. Been a million years since anyone held onto me, Maya...feels good."

"I can think of other things that might feel good," she whispered, and Merle almost died.

"Maya..."

"Do you want to?" she asked.

"You mean-"

"Can I make a confession?"

"Sure."

"I saw you before...in the water."

"Jesus! Really?"

Merle recalled how he had stepped into the cold water bare-ass naked and damn near froze his balls. He wondered if he looked OK to her, but then she answered his question.

"I could have watched you all day."

Merle smiled to himself in the dark when he pictured a beautiful blonde watching him naked and getting off at the sight.

"OK for an older guy?" he asked with a little self-deprecation. 

He knew he looked better than when he gave up drinking, but he was still in his 50s, and she couldn't be much older than 40.

"You looked just fine to me...especially...this..."

She moved over him then, and he could feel her breath on his face as she came closer and lay a little kiss on his lips. Merle fell apart inside and then she put him back together with another kiss as her hand moved over the nylon of the sleeping bag to the front of his boxers.

"You OK?"

"Yeah, just been a spell since...you know."

"Sorry."

"No, honey, it's more than OK. You just caught me by surprise."

"I'm not trying to take advantage," she said softly, "but you're hard to resist."

"Is your eyesight OK?" he teased.

"Yeah...you're just what I like," she purred.

Her hand closed around the bulge in the front of his sleeping bag, and he groaned heavily. Surely she could feel how hard he was and before he knew it she was unzipping his sleeping bag to get closer to him. Her bare legs moved against his own just like he imagined and his dick became flooded with blood and hard as granite. She threw her right leg over his hips, and he felt the dampness of her panties against his boxers as she kissed him again. She was so soft and moved so fast that he had to try hard to catch up to her.

Merle's hands claimed her upper thighs, and his tongue finally woke up to fill her mouth. He pulled her mouth to his, and she ground herself against the hardness he was trying to control. Maya was making him crazy, and he hadn't even really touched her yet; he had to rectify that.

Merle slid his hand up her shirt and cupped her breast through her sports bra; he wanted them both in his face though so he pulled her shirt and her bra off so swiftly he surprised even himself.

"Overeager, sorry," he panted.

"It's so good, Merle...go for it."

Merle pulled her breasts to his mouth, kissing and sucking them like she could bring about world peace with her body alone. Merle needed to get inside her; he needed to possess this woman of the woods, this woman who just walked through the trees toward him and into his heart.

Eventually, he rolled her onto her side and pulled her leg up around his hip. He cupped her ass in his hand and urged her in tighter against the throbbing, aching need in his boxers. 

The tent was dark and chilly, but their bodies burned as one in the middle of nowhere. Merle slid his fingers under the elastic of her panties and felt the slippery evidence of her lust against his skin. He needed to taste her, to drink her pleasure, to make her his own. His finger slid inside her, and she grabbed him by his shoulder, pulling him even closer and rolling her hips toward his touch.

"Tell me you'll fuck me, Merle. Tell me you're gonna give me everything."

"Anything you want, honey...it's yours. I'll fuck you till the sun comes up if you want."

Maya began to push his boxers down, and the second his cock was released she took hold and began to jerk him off so well. Merle was not the type to allow a woman to please him first but she insisted as she ducked down to taste him. Her mouth closed around the head of his dick, and he gasped at the perfect pressure, the warm and wet sweetness of her tongue. All the way down, she took him in and stoked his fire as his fingers threaded through her hair.

"Honey...that's so nice, Maya...Jesus!" he groaned.

She was kneeling at his side so he figured he'd pull her hips toward his face, maybe she'd take a ride.

"Come on, honey...lemme please you back," he pleaded and then soon her pussy was within perfect proximity of his lips. 

Merle grabbed her hips with both hands and raised his face to bring his mouth to her body. He licked his own lips to wet them good and proper and then moved them back and forth slowly over her labia, bringing her to the edge.

"Damn! Oh my God!" she panted. 

Merle kissed her inner thighs, teased her to the brink, and reveled in her body for the night.  Maya came apart and repeated his name like he was the man of her dreams, and when he lay her out on the sleeping bag, she was so eager for him. She was soft and yielding and wrapped him up in her arms as he thrust into her. 

It was perfect. Merle needed to be touched; he needed to be told he was attractive, that he was worth something and Maya made all of that reality, if only for the night.

* * *

 

Merle opened his eyes the next morning and rolled over to stare at the screen window of the tent. A moth was ambling in circles, and he watched it for a long time, just letting his thoughts float in and out of his mind like snow. 

Eventually, he needed to pee, so he stepped out onto the dirt and walked over to the nearest tree. The lake was like glass, motionless and clear, reflecting the sky like a mirror image. 

Merle sighed and leaned his head against the tree for a moment, "You're a sad old fucker, Merle Dixon."

It was always the same woman in his fantasy, and his fantasies were so detailed now. A therapist in recovery suggested to him that visualizing his life without substances would be good for him. She suggested that he should imagine all the things he wanted, and he knew he had probably taken that too far now, but it felt good to imagine himself with someone like Maya. He learned all about meditation from his therapist and used it to create a world where he wasn't alone anymore.

The funny thing was that he didn't even remember constructing her image in his head. She just appeared to him the way she was: blonde hair, brown eyes, one dimple in her right cheek when she smiled, strong legs and a curvy figure...just a natural beauty. 

Being away at the lake all alone allowed him to really go crazy in his own mind. Maybe it was a little sad, but it's all he had lately.

She was so real to him now. Maya was like him, she knew his struggles and didn't judge because she struggled too. He felt stupid for the way his mind wandered. While other men just pictured a woman's tits and jerked off, it just wouldn't work for Merle. He wanted so much more than a woman's body; he wanted someone to love him and want him as much as he wanted her. Merle wanted the interactions, the teasing, and the laughter, so he made it up. It was his ultimate fantasy to meet a woman in the woods, to be her hero in some small way, take care of her and then wind up in his tent with her. He imagined it how he'd want it to go. He wouldn't say all the right things, but she would still find him charming. Little things would go wrong, batteries in a flashlight would die, but it would all turn out perfectly. Merle didn't want a bullshit fantasy; he craved a real interaction with a real human being, not porn. 

Jerking off to a nameless, faceless woman with no personality just didn't work for him, so he allowed his mind to get very creative. Being all alone in a tent couldn't stop his mind from painting a beautiful picture. 

Being sober was lonely, and it was hard to reach out when your past included DWIs, desperation, and shame. Merle wasn't that man anymore; he was a man who needed love and had a lot of love to give.

Merle's fantasies weren't just sexual; he was fantasizing about falling in love, making love, and finding a partner in life. He wanted someone to wake up with, someone to fall asleep with and share all of the good things in life. For a long time, he avoided the quiet because thinking of his life was painful but the silence was good for him now, it gave him time to contemplate what he really wanted most.

Merle spent another night out in the woods alone and thought of his dream girl a little more. He watched stars shooting across the black sky above and wished he had someone to hold, someone who understood him and accepted him just as he was. He hadn't wished on a star since childhood, and he felt silly but there was nobody around to laugh, so he went with it.

"If there's a soulmate out there for me, please let me find her," he sighed.

_** / ** _

Monday morning he was back to the world and met Daryl at work to open the shop at 7 am as always. 

"How was the trip?" Daryl asked as he got the coffee maker going and grabbed the list of cars to work on first.

"Good. It was chilly but good."

"6 months now, hey?"

"Yeah, looks like I made it."

"I knew you could do it, brother."

"Thanks."

"Merle, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I need to tell you something, and I need you to not get pissed off at me."

"What did you do?" Merle winced.

"I put a profile on that dating website for you," Daryl said and then ducked behind the hoist to avoid a smack.

"Damn it, Daryl! I told you not to do that!"

"But-"

"If you put up that picture from the gun range, I'm gonna belt you one!"

"Uh...sorry?"

"Why would you do this? I'm gonna be a laughing stock! No woman in her right mind would respond to a picture like that!"

"Merle, wait!"

Merle was furious and chasing him around the shop to just get in one good shot to appease his anger. 

"But you did get replies!" Daryl defended.

"When did you do this?" he asked as he came to a stop.

"A week ago...actually 5 women responded."

"And when they find out I'm six months into recovery they'll unrespond."

"I put that in the profile though, they already know."

"Jesus, Daryl! Is my dick size in there too?"

"Would that help? I can add that," Daryl laughed, and Merle had to laugh too.

"You're damn right it would help, I'm a Dixon, right?"

"Right."

"So what do I do then?"

"I took care of everything. I picked a girl for ya and set up a date for tonight...you need to get out there."

"How do you know what kind of woman I'm lookin' for?"

"I know you, just trust me."

"OK."

"What, no more fighting me on this?"

"No. I'm gonna trust you with it. I am kinda lonely."

"You won't be sorry. Her name is Janice, and she's gorgeous."

"Janice? Like that annoying broad from Friends?"

"You said you'd trust me."

"Alright, alright."

_** / ** _

Merle got showered up after work and put on a clean black dress shirt with a pair of khakis, he wasn't a dress-up kind of guy, and they were only meeting for a coffee.

Daryl texted him that he had to be at The Grind House at 8 pm and he sighed as he grabbed his keys and his wallet to leave the house. He felt like a bit of a fool meeting a woman for a blind date, but if she responded to the ridiculous picture of him with no shirt on and his gun drawn at the gun range, then she couldn't be too picky. He was half cut in the picture, and he was carrying an extra 12 pounds back then, this woman had to be desperate.

He arrived before she did and was told to watch for a woman in a pink dress, but he didn't see anyone like that yet. He ordered a coffee and fidgeted with the cream dispenser as he waited. He wondered what kind of girl Daryl thought would be right for him; he wondered if they'd have anything in common. 

"Merle?"

Merle looked up and felt an icy chill run up his spine.

"Uh...J...Janice?" he stuttered. 

"Yes. Are you OK?"

"I..are you...your name is Janice?"

"Technically yes, but I haven't gone by that name since I was a kid. My sister and your brother set us both up on that site," she laughed. "Your name is actually Merle, right?"

"Yeah...you just look kinda familiar to me," he uttered. 

"In a good way?"

"Yeah, in a really good way," he smiled.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," she noted.

"No, I'm sorry," he insisted. "You just kinda threw me for a loop...you're really beautiful."

"Wow! Thank you," she blushed.

"So, what name do you go by if not Janice?"

"Maya. It's my middle name. I think my sister used Janice in case I met a creep, then I could hide from them easier," she laughed.

"Hope you won't want to hide from me," he smiled.

"Not at all...I liked your picture right away, and you seem perfectly nice to me."

"Can I get you a coffee?"

"Yes, please," she said. "I'm glad we're just meeting at a coffee shop. Being in recovery is another thing we have in common besides our siblings setting us up. I thought it was very honest and brave of you to put that in your profile."

"That was my brother, but I'm glad he did it cause it's best if people know that up front."

"I agree. Bringing it up halfway through a date does not go well, trust me. Some people are so judgemental."

"That's so true," he smiled. "I just need to visit the little boy's room, and I'll bring you back your coffee, OK?"

"Come right back," she winked.

"And don't you go anywhere," he winked back.

Merle made a beeline for the bathroom door and had to lean his back against the wall to catch his breath and his balance.

"It's her....what the fuck is happening?" he muttered.

It was the girl he made up, and he was sure he was losing his mind. 

How could she be a real human being? 

Was he going crazy? 

Should he even question anything so good?

  
He checked his face in the mirror, maybe looking for signs of insanity in his own eyes and decided he better get back to the table before his dream girl disappeared. 

"You OK?" she asked as he set her drink down in front of her and returned to his seat.

"I'm great. You?"

"Good."

"So, what do you like to do with your time?"

Merle had to fill the silence with words. All he wanted to do was stare at her face to reassure his mind that it was actually her.

"I'm a teacher, so that keeps me pretty busy. I like to read, swim, hike. I shoot guns too; I think that's something else that attracted me to your picture."

"You shoot?" he grinned. 

This really was his dream girl.

"Yeah, my dad was a cop, and I grew up going to the range with him every weekend."

"That's cool...maybe we could go together if this goes well."

He didn't want to pressure her for a second date or anything. His mind was made up about her, but she was only just meeting him. He was still scared of what was happening and of the fact that maybe he was losing his mind, but he couldn't act scared in front of her and blow his chances.

"I'd say it's going very well," she murmured. "In fact, maybe we could take a little drive after this, or go for a walk."

"I'd love to," he grinned. "Where?"

"Piedmont Park?"

"Oh, haven't been there in a while...that used to be a good make-out spot," he teased playfully.

"It still is," she purred, and Merle felt what he was sure were butterflies.

They decided to take her vehicle, and he opened the door for her just to brush her arm and convince himself she was real. He needed to touch her for validation.

She pulled up in the parking lot of the park as the sun was setting and he noticed how desolate it was for that time of year. She turned on the radio in the car and leaned back for a moment to just look at him, the orange glow of sunset on her face. It was essential to be alone; there was a tension between them that needed to be discussed.

"I feel really comfortable around you," she said. 

"Me too."

"Like I already know you or something," she added, her brow furrowed in contemplation.

"I feel it too," he nodded.

"My sister pointed out your picture, and I had to send a message...I wasn't even going to engage with the dating site thing. It was my sister's idea, and I thought it was stupid until she showed me your profile."

"My brother picked you too...that's so weird."

"Maybe they know something we don't?" she smiled.

"Maybe. He couldn't have picked a more beautiful woman than you, and we have some things in common...that's always good."

"There's only one thing we still need to check."

"Yeah?"

"Chemistry," she suggested, looking into his eyes and drawing him in so easily.

"How do we do that?"

Merle thought he already knew what kissing her would feel like but he had no idea. It was so much more than his fantasies could have prepared him for. 

She leaned over to him, lay her hand on his thigh and kissed him slow and soft. Her bottom lip slid naturally between his, and he melted into her to extend the kiss. He never wanted it to stop. Merle felt a vibration of her lips as she moaned and then moved back to look him in the eye.

"Do you feel that too?"

"Yeah...I feel it everywhere," he smiled.

"Would it be pushing things if we took this further?"

"Not for me."

"I want to be alone with you, somewhere more private than here."

"Take me where you want me, honey," he smiled.

"You wouldn't think less of me if I took you home?"

"There's something between us, Maya. I don't know what it is, but I'm in this for the long haul, so make me wait, take me now, the choice is yours...as long as I can be with you."

"I don't know what this is either, but I've been telling myself no for six months when it comes to my addictions, and I'd sure like to say yes to this."

Maya put the car in gear and in what felt like a blur of streetlights and music on the radio, they were pulling into her driveway and then racing like teenagers to her door.

She unlocked the door, pulled him inside, and they came together like they had been making out all of their lives. He took her face in his hands and kissed her deep as she lay her hands over his. Every move, every touch was almost choreographed to perfection.

He knew just what she wanted and exactly how she wanted it, but he had no idea where the knowledge came from. She wanted to be taken to her bedroom, she wanted to kiss for a good five minutes, and she wanted to fuck. The pheromones were thick, and it was almost destined by the Gods that their bodies would become one.

"You're so damn hot, Merle...take me."

He had her halfway down the hall and picked her up to lay her down on the bed. He knew she'd be his for life, he was sure of it, she was meant to be his, he was meant to be hers.  Merle kissed her deep, let his hands roam over her body through her pink dress, and eased himself between her legs. She wanted him there, up close to her womanhood, this was not guesswork, it felt like he was remembering her preferences.

"What's happening?" she whispered. "Why do I know you? Why is this so familiar?"

"I don't know, honey...it feels like I just found you after a long time apart."

"That's exactly what it feels like!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't have said it better."

"I don't know if we'll be able to figure out why this feels so right, but nothing ever felt this good for me."

"Me neither, it's like I need your hands on me...like I physically need it."

"And I feel like if I don't touch you more, I'll go crazy," he growled, and she relinquished control beneath him.

"Never stop touching me then, and be sure to touch me everywhere."

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned. 

Merle pushed her dress up her legs and thrust himself against her as light flooded in from the hallway casting just the right mood. He could see her clearly, but it wasn't too bright, still romantic. He kissed her neck, felt her fingers tangle in his hair and heard a whimper of need leave her lips. She tore at his shirt then and went straight to his belt, and he just knew it wouldn't take long. Sometimes passion was off the charts, and you just had to go with it. This was not 'slow down and savor it' sex, this was 'where have you been all my life?' sex.

Merle needed to be inside her; he needed to belong to her, he needed it like air. She pushed down his pants as he started to search for a zipper to her dress but she was desperate and impatient to go faster. 

"Let's just get naked, OK?" she delegated.

"You got it."

They broke apart and watched hungrily as the other tore their own clothing from their flesh and then it was on.

He lay over her, teased her entrance with the head of his cock as his mouth began to claim her breasts and she whined and panted out his name. 

Every nerve lit up like fireflies and their emotions entangled in beautiful knots that could never be broken. Merle was out of breath and happier than he knew possible. The woman who was born in his mind, the one he felt like he already knew was in his arms and wanted him just as much...it was a dream come true after all of his struggles.

He ran the head of his cock over the swollen bundle of nerves at the crown of her womanhood as he sucked her breasts and then she broke. 

"Come into me...come into me now, my man."

The words 'my man' sounded especially familiar, and as he thrust into her and she gasped her pleasure into the dark, he just knew it had happened before. He had made love to her in another time, on another plane of existence, perhaps with different names. All he knew is that their bodies had come together before and that it was right. They were an anointed match.

He kissed her as he fucked her and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as he moved. The warmth of her pussy was like coming home; he belonged inside her.

Merle held her by the ass with his right hand, gripped her headboard with his left hand and nailed her as she begged and pleaded with him for more. Their sexual chemistry was unmatched and unbridled, and by the time he came, they were joined by an unspoken agreement.

_** / ** _

"I love you, Maya. I don't mean to scare you, but I have to be with you and-"

"Shhh....feel it too, and you are not getting away from me."

Maya held his head to her chest with both arms and kissed his sweaty forehead softly.

It was a few weeks before Merle dared to mention his fantasies to her, and to his delight, she wasn't scared or put off by it. She could feel whatever it was between them just like he could and she was too contented to question it. 

Maya and Merle were happy, so happy that it almost felt otherworldly. They both secretly hoped to figure out why and how they were connected someday. Until then, they decided just to love each other with all they had and enjoy their second chance at life and happiness.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

** Part Two **

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Merle announced.

He was picking Maya up after her staff meeting in an hour, but he couldn't wait to tell Daryl and Carol the good news before they headed out of town for the weekend.

"Oh my God!" Carol exclaimed. "That's...so soon!"

"It's only been six weeks," Daryl added.

Merle felt the wind go out of his sails as he looked from one stunned face to the other.

"But I love her like crazy, and she loves me too," he said, but he sounded a little defeated. 

Merle hadn't been able to tell Daryl about the way he dreamed of Maya before meeting her; he would have sounded insane...maybe it was insane, Merle still wasn't 100% sure. In a way, it made sense that they didn't understand his strong feelings for her. How could they without knowing the whole story?

"Hey, Merle. Don't get it all twisted," Daryl jumped in. "I'm really happy for you; I'm just surprised."

"Me too!" Carol added. "I'm excited for you. If she's the one, then she's the one! Why wait?"

"She is," he smiled.

"Do you have the ring yet?" Carol asked. 

"It's not that fancy, but yeah."

Merle handed over the ring from his pocket and explained that it was an antique he'd found downtown a week earlier. 

"Merle, it's gorgeous! She'll love this!" Carol praised.

"I don't have tons of money at the moment...do you think she'll be pissed that it's used?"

"I've seen you two together. Maya would probably say yes without a ring."

"You think?" he smiled. 

"I'm pretty sure. I see how she looks at you," Daryl chimed in.

"It's a beautiful ring, Merle."

"Thanks. I'm gonna wait for just the right moment while we're away for the weekend and just see what happens."

They were heading out to a quiet country B&B, and he couldn't wait to spend three days and two nights with his dream girl all alone.

"Call and let us know what she says," Carol squealed.

"I will. I better head out to get her and then we're hitting the highway."

"Have fun, man," Daryl said, smacking him on the back and wishing him luck.

"Thanks for finding her for me, Daryl."

"No problem."

/

Maya had suggested the trip a week before and planned everything in secret. Merle never had a woman do something so romantic for him, and he couldn't wait to find out where they were heading. He arrived at the elementary school where she worked, and she walked out in her kindergarten teacher clothes looking hot as hell.

"Hey there, beautiful!" he called from the truck, and she ran the rest of the way to meet him.

"I thought that day would never end," she exclaimed, jumping into the truck to lay a big kiss on his lips. 

She was always happy to see him; he'd never had a woman react to him that way before. Maya was just as much in love with him as he was with her; he could feel it in her touch and hear it in the way she said she loved him. 

"Got everything packed?" she asked.

"I think so. You gonna tell me where we're going now?"

"It's not far from Atlanta; it's called Stockbridge."

"I know that town," he said. "I drove through there a couple of times on my way to go fishing."

"It's got a cute little B&B, and we're going to be the only people staying all weekend."

"So what you're saying is we can be loud?" 

"As loud as we want, my man," she purred.

Merle pulled her closer and drove with one arm around her shoulder as soon as they hit the highway. It became normal almost instantly between them, like they were already married. The fact that he had fantasized about her before they actually met was weird; he knew that. He had no explanation for it, but he had never been happier in all his life, and all he could think of was the future.

He wanted them to live together as soon as possible, all of their nights were spent together anyway. 

The drive wasn't long, and they arrived in the sleepy little town of Stockbridge by suppertime. 

"It's nice here," he smiled. "Why did you choose it, though?"

"It's really strange actually, I looked up a few places on the internet, and then I fell asleep at my desk and dreamed about this place."

"Was it a good dream?" he asked.

"It was a messed up dream. Me and you were young and running away together like Romeo and Juliet, but everything looked like the 1960s," she giggled.

"What were we running from?"

"No idea, but we pulled over just past the Stockbridge town limits in an old truck and had crazy wild sex on the way." 

"Well then, that is a good dream."

"Oh yeah!"

They checked in at the Magnolia Inn and were led up to a decent sized room that had been updated with a huge soaker tub and a king-sized bed. The man who checked them in was named Gary and seemed a little slow, but very sweet.

"It's a beautiful room, thank you."

"Sure thing, misses. I'm on my way home now, but my mother will be here in an hour if you need anything."

"Your mother?" Merle exclaimed by mistake. 

The man looked almost 70 if he was a day, Merle was stunned to hear his mother was still alive, let alone still working.

"Oh yes, mama is still in charge here. She's 86 now," Gary answered.

"Wow! Good for her," Maya smiled. "She must take very good care of herself.

"Oh no!" he laughed. "Mama smokes like a factory chimney and drinks like a sailor; it don't make no sense to me."

"Oh, well...thank you very much for the help," Maya answered.

They were left alone, and it felt like a honeymoon. Merle had the ring in his bag and decided that evening would be a more romantic time to propose. He wanted to get her in the big tub before they did anything else.

"Wanna bath?" he suggested.

"Thought you'd never ask."

Maya lay back on the bed and took in the sight of Merle undressing slowly for her. He was confident, and Maya loved that, but he was far from cocky. There was a little shyness in the way he undressed, and she saw it as a great opportunity to show him how much she desired him. Maya fanned herself with her hand playfully and bit her lip at the sight of his naked body before her.

"Heaven help me," she swooned and came closer to kiss him and get the water going to fill the tub.

As the sun set off the little balcony, they settled into the water with Maya resting her back against his chest. 

Merle ran his hands up and down her body as he kissed her neck and she could feel his manhood against her back already. 

"I love you," she whispered. 

"Love you too."

"My mother says I'm falling too fast, but I know this is right."

She took his hands and wrapped his arms around her even tighter and leaned back into his body, drawing a moan from deep in his chest.

He cupped her breasts then and bit at her throat hungrily. Maya loved to awaken the animal in him; he was like a demon when he got going. 

He drifted the palms of his hands over her erect nipples, and she arched her back to reach his dick behind her. 

"Oh fuck," he groaned.

"That's right, my man...this what you want?"

"I want you, honey...every day...for the rest of my life."

She sat up and turned then in the tub to straddle his lap, splashing water onto the hardwood floor and taking his mouth with her own. 

She sank down on his dick without warning, and he clung to her waist with both hands. 

"Oh, honey...you do me so good."

She rode him steadily, gripping the sides of the tub as he sucked her nipples one after the other and grabbed her ass with both hands. 

Merle rocked her on his lap and panted into the dim light of day how amazing she was and how much he loved her. 

Maya always doubted the existence of this kind of love, the kind of love that made you irrational and overpowered your sense of caution at every turn. This was a mad kind of love where you'd die for your lover at the drop of a hat and it should have scared her, but it didn't.

/

After their bath, they took a walk down the main street to find some food and settled on a simple little diner next to town hall. They shared a sandwich and had a cup of coffee as the stars came out, and Merle loved how brightly they shined only 40 minutes outside of Atlanta.

"Have you ever wished on a falling star?"

"You mean a shooting star?" she winked.

"There's a difference?"

"I have no idea; I'm just joking. I don't think I have. Have you?"

"Yeah...right before we met I wished for my soulmate."

"Stop it."

"I did! I swear to God. When I was camping, I wished for you, and then there you were only days later. I told you how I pictured you, right?"

"We must be soulmates then," she smiled. 

"I believe we are," he agreed.

Merle walked her back to the B&B and decided he had to ask her that night; it was perfect timing. They walked in at 9 pm and found an old woman in the parlor knitting by the fireplace. It had to be Gary's mother.

"Hello, Ma'am," Merle said as the woman turned to see who it was.

"Oh my Lord above!"

"Sorry, did we startle you?" Maya apologized, assuming they had taken the older woman by surprise. Perhaps her son had failed to mention they were there.

"No...are you the couple my son mentioned?"

"Yes, I'm Merle, and this is Maya."

"Abigail Parker," she said, holding a shaking hand out to Merle and then Maya.

The woman had a funny expression on her face that Maya didn't understand, but perhaps it was normal for her. She had an elderly great aunt who always looked a little surprised for no reason at all.

"Is there anything I can bring you?" she asked.

"Oh no, Ma'am, we're just fine," Merle smiled.

He wasn't about to have a little old woman bring him anything unless it was a dire emergency.

"Well...good evening then," she said, but she was still looking at them strangely.

"Goodnight, Abigail," Maya waved.

"Goodnight, Janice."

/

They got back up to the bedroom and decided to just crash for the night. Maya opened the balcony doors to let in the cool breeze of early autumn. 

"She was a little funny, hey?" Maya joked. "Did she call me Janice or am I dreaming?"

"I didn't hear it, I was halfway up the stairs already," he chuckled. "I guess at her age she's allowed to be a little kooky."

"Excellent point."

Merle didn't know how to start, but he had a feeling that Maya would appreciate simple honesty most. They weren't kids anymore, and he just wanted to tell her the plain truth of what he felt in his heart.

"Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"Come over here, honey...I wanna talk to you about something."

Maya sat on the edge of the bed where he was standing, and he took a slow deep breath before he began. He wished he had planned out what to say then, but he figured winging it would be best, he probably couldn't remember rehearsed words without paper anyway.

"I'm 54 now, and I spent a lot of my years on this planet doing everything wrong. It feels like I wasn't complete until we met and all of the years before I was trying to fill the emptiness with substances...just to feel something. I wish I could go back and do it all differently, maybe I could have had a family or something...but then there's you. If I hadn't made all those mistakes, and wasted all those years, I wouldn't have found you. When I dreamed of the perfect woman, all I saw was you, so it seems silly not to tell you that this is it for me, cause it is. I don't want anyone but you, I don't want anything but us, and I'll love you till I die...will you marry me?"

Maya was tearing up and nodding her head when he finally dared to look at her, and it's all he needed.

"Yeah?" he checked.

"Yes."

He pulled her to her feet then and kissed her all over her face like an excited puppy. 

"I got you a ring too...but just tell me if it's no good and I'll start saving for something better," he blathered as he fished the box out of his pocket.

She took the box and kissed him once more before opening it.

"Oh my god! I love it!"

"Yeah?"

"It's beautiful."

It was a simple gold band with tiny diamonds arranged in the shape of a star. She had never seen anything like it.

"It's very unique."

"It's an antique, so it's not new. You deserve a new ring but they're pricey, and I don't have a lot of money."

"Merle, I love this ring. I'm not into expensive jewelry anyway."

"I never seen a star ring before and I did wish on a star for you so...is that cheesy?"

"You are too sweet, Merle Dixon," she sighed and pulled him to the bed for the night.

Maya held him all night long, breathing slow and deep and they were both completely at peace. Years of substance abuse took a toll on the heart and mind, and they both needed something sweet, something pure.

Merle realized since he found Maya that he had felt incomplete without her. All his life it felt like something was missing, and he knew now that it was her. Maybe that's why he chased false highs with drugs and booze; he was trying to fill an emptiness inside.

/

The next morning, Maya went downstairs to see about some coffee. Her man loved his coffee first thing in the morning, and she wanted to try out being his little wifey.

She found Abigail in the kitchen and asked if she could just help herself to coffee. She didn't need to be waited on.

"Sure, dear...it's just right here."

She was directed to everything she needed, and Abigail plugged in the coffee maker for her, but she was still getting a funny look.

"Where do you hail from again?"

"Just north of Atlanta originally but I live in the city now," she smiled as she scooped coffee grounds into the filter.

"And your gentleman friend?"

"I believe he was born in the city...but I'm not sure."

The woman smiled and asked how long they had been together.

"Not very long, but we're very much in love. It feels like I've known him all my life. He proposed last night." she added with a grin.

The old woman looked down to her hand to check out the ring and gasped.

"Where did you get that ring? Who are you?"

"I...ma'am? I'm Maya. What's the matter?"

"It's enough that you look like the dead come alive but with that ring, I know it now! Leave this place! Demon!"

"Oh my God! Ma'am...I..."

"I suspected it was you...the light was bad last night, and my vision is poor now...but I knew it was the pair of you come back to haunt this place."

Maya was terrified of the fear in the old woman's eyes, and so she ran upstairs to tell Merle.

"Merle!"

"What's wrong, honey?"

Maya closed the door behind her and looked him dead in the eye. 

"That woman says I'm a demon. She's crazy! She says we have to leave."

Merle just looked confused.

"I'll go talk to her," he insisted. "Maybe she's just...old?"

Merle threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans to check it all out, but the woman approached him at the foot of the stairs with a handful of papers and a cigarette dangling from her lips. 

"You! Take your corpse bride and go!"

"Ma'am, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh no? I may be old as time itself, but I know a ghost when I see it!"

She threw the papers at his feet and demanded that they pack up and go before they cursed the whole town.

Merle wasn't easily scared, he was a big strong man, and Abigail was a tiny woman, but her behavior was creepy. He picked up the papers and decided it was just best to leave.

He got to the top of the stairs and started to pack up since there was clearly no talking to Abigail.

"What's that?" Maya asked, pointing to the papers.

"No idea, she just threw this at me and ranted some more nonsense. She called you a corpse bride!" he chuckled. "She's off her rocker."

"Maybe we should call an ambulance? She could be having some kind of...episode."

"I'll do that before we go, but I'm getting you away from here right now."

"What a shame," Maya pouted. "I really liked it here, and I paid through the weekend."

"We'll see about a refund when we get home...I'll be honest though, she's pretty creepy. We should just get the hell out of here and cut our losses. I'll pay for a nice room in Atlanta," he winked.

"Sounds good to me."

Merle walked down the steps with their bags and Maya held onto his arm as they scanned the lower level for a creepy old woman ranting crazy talk.

They managed to get to the truck and headed toward the highway without looking back. Merle was happy to just get the hell out of there. It felt like the beginning of a cheesy horror movie, but they'd have a great story to tell Daryl and Carol about their engagement. 

"Did it seem like someone was going to pull out an ax or is it just me?" she giggled as she dug through his bag for her phone.

Merle had thrown random stuff into bags in a rush to get out of Stockbridge, so everything was in a shambles. She grabbed her phone and checked her messages as he hit the highway and then decided to sift through the papers.

"What is all that?" he asked.

"Pictures...newspapers."

"She's a loon! Hope the paramedics get there soon, they said they'd go check it out."

"Merle?"

"What's wrong?"

"Pull over."

"Why?"

"You have to see this."

Merle checked his mirrors and pulled the truck over to the shoulder of the road.

The newspaper had a story of a double homicide and a picture of a woman who looked like Maya only with 60s style hair and dress.

"Oh! She thinks you look like this woman!" Merle noted. "That's her problem!"

"I do look like her," Maya frowned.

"I guess so...the paper is so old; it's a little hard to tell. She thinks you're a ghost," he laughed. 

Merle was just about to call Daryl to tell him the tale when he picked up a photograph from the pile of papers and held it up to the light.

This picture was a more clear image of the woman, who did look exactly like Maya, only younger, but in this photo, she was standing next to a man who was the spitting image of him.

"What the fuck?"

"Jesus!" she exclaimed. "What does it mean?"

Merle didn't answer. Instead, he was pouring over the article about the murder to see what happened to the couple in the picture. 

"They were murdered by the side of the rode in a truck, both of them shot multiple times while they were making love."

"Merle," she whined softly. "Can you just take me home?"

"Of course...this is just...it's a coincidence, honey."

"You think?"

"I don't know."

Merle pulled out onto the highway and drove like a bat out of hell just to get back to Atlanta where things made sense. 

He took her to her home because she was very shaken, and they poured over everything that was thrown at them by the old woman who was perhaps not so crazy after all.

"They were leaving town to elope when they stopped to get busy on the side of the road, and they were both killed...it doesn't say if the case was ever solved."

"They look just like us, only younger," Merle shivered. 

"Janice Spencer and Merle Douglas," she groaned. "This is weird, Merle. I'm losing my mind; I'm sure of it now."

"I know what you mean...everything was a little strange with us, to begin with, but this is just fucked right up."

"Do you..." she began.

"What?"

"Do you still want to marry me?" she asked.

"Of course I do," he said, grabbing her and pulling her close. "Don't be crazy, honey. I want to marry you more than anything. We'll figure this shit out, and everything will be fine. I promise."

"Don't let me go, Merle. No matter what happens."

"I'm not letting you go for anything."

Maya took a nap that afternoon, but Merle couldn't let it go. He wanted more information. All of the pieces were there, but they didn't form a picture. He sat frustrated at the computer for a while but gave up pretty soon, when nothing could be found on the case.  Merle looked down at Maya sleeping peacefully on the bed and decided to let it go for a while; he just wanted to hold her. They were in love, and they were alive, that's all Merle cared about at that moment.

  
  


 


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Dread washed over Merle when he realized where he was, this dream meant business. The moon was a silver dollar high in the sky, shining so brightly that it didn't feel like the middle of the night. The reaper's blackness held in its arms a million stars. It was a night for love and beauty...a deceptive kind of night. The radio in the truck orientated him to the time and place with chatter from a radio station in Atlanta; it was 1964, and they were playing a song by the late Patsy Cline.

 

_**Sweet dreams of you** _

_**Every night I go through** _

_**Why can't I forget you and start my life anew?** _

_**Instead of having sweet dreams about you...** _

 

Janice was under him on the bench seat of the truck, and it felt wrong to be kissing her. Janice was the other Merle's girl, not his.

"Make love to me, my man," she pleaded.

He kissed her softly and moved his face into her neck to gather his thoughts. Kissing her felt so much like kissing Maya. Janice looked, sounded, and tasted like his Maya. He realized then that he physically was the other Merle at that moment, his body was that of a younger man in this dream...he was so confused.

He couldn't resist doing just as she asked of him though, so he gave in as she pulled his shirt over his head.

"I finished the poem," she whispered, and he had no idea what poem she meant.

Merle ran his fingers through her soft blonde hair and just continued to kiss her since he didn't know what to say or do.

"Do you want to hear it?" she asked.

Her voice was so sweet; she sounded just like his Maya.

"Sure, honey...let's hear it."

He stopped to lay his head on her chest as she ran her fingertips up and down his bare back. He closed his eyes as she began to speak and just listened to her heart beating against his cheek.

 

_**You belong with me, my love** _

_**and I belong with you** _

_**We should live life side by side** _

_**in everything we do** _

 

_**You belong with me today** _

_**for now and ever more** _

_**And I belong with you, my dear** _

_**the one that I adore** _

 

_**We were meant to be, I know** _

_**It's written in the stars** _

_**I love the way we are as one** _

_**and everything you are** _

 

_**Just think of all the moments** _

_**aligning for us to meet** _

_**So once we found each other** _

_**we were bound to feel complete** _

 

_**But this is part of our story** _

_**We'll sit and write together** _

_**Hanging memories on the wall** _

_**of the home, we'll share forever** _

 

_**So both of us are certain** _

_**as we each say 'I do.'** _

_**That you belong with me, my love** _

_**and I belong with you** _

 

"That's beautiful," he said softly.

"Tomorrow we'll be married, my man, and nothing will ever keep us apart."

Merle rose up to look down at her then, and it was Maya, not Janice and he was his old self again. In an instant, it was the two of them again.

"I'm confused, Maya...this feels familiar to me."

"I know...me too."

"This night, everything about this feels like Deja Vu."

"I know what you mean...come here," she grinned and pulled him close.

Merle undressed her in the darkness of the truck, and it was perfect. She was his Maya again, the woman he had dreamed into existence. Merle kissed from her neck down to her bare belly and then further down to please her.

Merle took his time as always, and she whined so sweetly into the dark. Crickets chirped in approval outside the open window, and an owl in the distance voiced his opinion as well. The night wrapped itself around them, holding them together in the moment. He pulled her into the flames with his tongue trailing all over the petals of her flower and his fingers urging her on.

She gripped the steering wheel and arched her back as she came apart and Merle was really starting to enjoy this part of the dream.

"Make love to me, my man," she panted as her body floated back down to reality.

Merle just grinned and dropped his pants enough to do the deed. Truck sex was more perfunctory, but he didn't mind at all, every time he touched her he was fulfilled.

Merle heard the snapping of a twig outside the truck and presumed it was an animal of the night in the ditch...he was right, and also wrong. The animal outside was of the human variety.

Merle thrust into her, and she shivered against the vinyl seat as she laced her fingers around his neck.

"You're the only one, my man," she moaned.

"It's written in the stars," he winked.

The flash of light, the spray of blood, the burning deep in his chest that was like being impaled by the devil's pitchfork, falling on top of her...she was screaming and couldn't get out from under him, but he couldn't breathe by then, let alone move.

/

Merle sat up straight in bed and grabbed his chest in terror.

"Fuck!" he gasped. "Fuck...Maya."

She was next to him, and he could tell that she had been awake for a while.

"I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't wake up no matter what I did," she almost sobbed. "I'm sorry...I saw it too."

"The truck," he began.

"The truck, the poem...them...us...the murder."

"Jesus Christ!" Merle growled.

Why were they being tortured like this?

What did it all mean?

"I don't know what to think anymore," she cried. "Why is this happening to us?"

"I don't know, honey...but it's not going to stop me loving you. We're going to figure it out, OK?"

"OK," she nodded, but he could tell she was terrified, and so was he.

/

That evening Merle insisted that she try to get some rest as he set about finding an answer to their problem. He searched everything he could about the case, and through his investigation online he found a photo of their graves.

A site called 'find a grave' had pictures of both headstones, side by side at Woodlawn Cemetery just outside of Stockbridge. Below the photos was a comment from a woman named Hannah Spencer, and he knew he had a lead.

 

_**Thanks for posting this picture of my sister's grave, I can't visit often from the other side of the country. Great site!** _

_**\- Hannah Spencer** _

 

Merle spent the next hour trying to locate Hannah and eventually tracked her down via Facebook.

He sent a message to her that he hoped wouldn't upset her too much and crawled into bed next to Maya for the night.

"I almost wished for a drink tonight," she sighed. "I don't want to dream."

"I don't either, honey...it's like we're being tested or something."

"Just please stay, no matter what happens, please stay with me."

"Maya, I'm not going anywhere so cut that out," he grinned. "You're not getting rid of me for anything."

They didn't dream that night, and Merle was grateful to see her smiling and calmer the next morning.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"I do feel better, and I was thinking that maybe..."

"What?"

"Maybe it's stupid."

"Come on, what are you thinking?"

"That maybe they just wanted us to see it...I think it's obvious that we're connected to these people. I think we must be carrying their spirits with us somehow. So maybe they just wanted us to know what happened to them...then we'd fully appreciate that we can be together."

"Jesus, that actually makes sense."

"I was just thinking that if I was killed with my lover and found them again in a different time...I'd want them to know that it was something profound and not to be treated frivolously."

"I think you're onto something, honey. All I know is that I slept like a baby last night and I feel at peace now."

"Me too...it feels like they've had their say."

Merle agreed with her, and they decided to enjoy the rest of their weekend even if it was just at her home instead of the trip they planned.

They curled up on the couch, and Maya kept thinking about the poem from the dream, she wished she could remember it all. The poem reflected exactly how she felt for Merle.

Around 9 pm, Merle got a message back from Hannah Spencer who was intrigued that someone would be interested in the case of her sister's murder so many years later. She asked for his number so that they could speak over the phone. Merle put her on speaker so that Maya could communicate as well.

 

"I'm not trying to upset you, Mrs. Spencer. I'm not the type to even believe in this kind of thing, but my fiance and I have been experiencing some strange things related to the case."

 He was asked to explain what was happening, Hannah was very interested and didn't sound overly upset, and so he mentioned the trip to Stockbridge, the reaction of Abigail Parker, the newspaper clippings and pictures and the dreams. Hannah was surprisingly calm about it and told him that she believed in spirits and agreed that perhaps her sister had unresolved business. Hannah remembered Abigail from growing up in Stockbridge and was stunned to hear she was still kicking. 

"My older sister Janice was gorgeous and full of life...she and Merle were in love since they were teenagers. They were the best of friends...soulmates."

"We're sorry to bring this up," Maya began. "This must be very painful for you."

"It's less painful after all these years, and it sounds as though maybe there is some peace for their spirits now. I'm the only one in my family who believes in the spirit world, and I tried to contact her through psychics for years," Hannah sighed.

"Did they ever find the man who killed them?" Merle asked.

"No. There were other murders in the area that were similar, though. He was known as 'The Lover's Lane Killer.' Whoever it was, targeted young lovers in their vehicles," Hannah sighed.

"That's sick," Merle exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with the world?"

"Can I ask you about a poem that I heard her recite in the dream?" Maya asked.

"She was always writing poetry...it really must have been her you saw," Hannah said softly. "Maybe it was the poem she wrote for their wedding. Janice showed me the poem before she left for Atlanta, I was the only one who knew they were eloping...she always told me everything."

"It did sound like a poem for a wedding," Maya noted.

"How did that go again?" Hannah mused, " _You belong with me, my love and I belong with you-_ "

" _We should live life side by side, in everything we do_ ," Maya continued, and the phone went silent.

"It really is her...she never published any of her writing. It really must have been her in your dream," Hannah sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Spencer," Maya apologized.

"No, dear, this is beautiful. They are together again. All Janice ever wanted was to be with Merle, and now she is....but can you promise me one thing?"

"Anything," Merle answered.

"Never take your love for granted...by the looks of it, your souls have been through death to be reunited."

"We promise we'll never forget that," Maya vowed.

/

Hannah sent a copy of the poem to Maya a few weeks later, they decided to stay in touch, and Maya read it to Merle at their wedding later that year. Hannah was stunned when she first saw a picture of them together; she said it gave her the chills but also made her very happy.

Merle and Maya were never able to tell the whole story to Daryl and Carol; it sounded too insane to repeat. They never dreamed of Merle and Janice again, but they did return to Stockbridge to tend to their graves on occasion. Maya said she would take Janice some yellow roses, Hannah mentioned that they were her sister's favorite.

Merle and Maya came to believe that their years of struggling had come from a sense of emptiness, from their souls being apart. They never took their love for granted, they never went to bed angry, and Merle never forgot to whisper his gratitude to the stars above every night for reuniting them.

 


End file.
